The Red Streets of Paris
by Bemused Writer
Summary: There's a new bout of murders happening in Paris perpetuated by a known vampire criminal. What will Vanitas do when the ultimate target of these killings is revealed? And is he prepared for what he might lose? [VaNoé Week 2019, Day 3]
1. Chapter 1

How did I miss the signs? Vanitas thought desperately. If I'd only been paying more attention…

As he skid about the corner he finally found the storage facility and within that facility…

Noé.

* * *

Another shocking murder takes Paris by surprise. Are vampires making a reappearance?

Vanitas frowned at the headline. It was the third one this week and yet it was remarkably hush-hush.

He set it aside on the table in frustration and crossed his arms. It wasn't that headlines about murder particularly shocked him but what was so annoying was how he was certain there was something amiss with these ones in particular. The fact it was a vampire was certainly cause for concern but there weren't any specifics; tabloids loved to give as many lurid details as possible. If anything, the article was short and to the point: bodies were being found drained of blood. So far there weren't any leads.

I'm sure it's some kind of malnomen, he thought. But if that's the case why hasn't Orlok said anything?

Across from him Noé was adding a cube of sugar to his tea. He wouldn't be adding any cream.

Knowing such an unimportant detail would have bothered him in the past but Vanitas knew most of Noé's habits by this point and he'd long since stopped wondering whether he should be paying attention to any of it. Noé liked tea with a cube of sugar, no cream. He liked spring days after a rain shower because he wanted the flowers to bloom as swiftly as possible. He enjoyed dancing and had no qualms with Vanitas being his partner. He carried sorrow with him from his childhood and it was his main motivator for helping him cure curse bearers.

Vanitas had let him drink his blood to prevent him from dying during one of those excursions.

No one was more surprised than himself that he'd done it but the thought of Noé dying after everything they'd been through…

Well, being able to look across the table and see him there made it worth it. He made a point not to wonder what Noé had seen of his memories precisely and Noé hadn't asked him any questions so far. He'd been a wreck briefly, afterwards, where he couldn't quite tell who he was, but they'd overcome that. Vanitas was more than happy to let the matter lie at this point.

He rubbed at his neck idly as he mulled the paper over some more. Sometimes he was amazed Noé had remained at all. He was hardly good company and now that Noé knew everything he'd been so sure…

Now you've seen my past. What are you going to do?

What do you mean?

You've… satisfied your curiosity.

I might know your past, Vanitas, but I still don't know what you're going to do in the future.

Such a simple statement but it had taken him wildly off-guard. Apparently, Noé still found him interesting as a person.

It was a bigger relief than he wanted to admit.

"The tea is unusually good today," Noé said with a satisfied sigh.

"What kind is it?" Vanitas said distractedly. He poked at his own dish. It was some kind of soup but seeing as it didn't feature any shellfish he had a hard time feeling excited about it.

"I think it's Darjeeling," Noé said, taking another considering sip.

He and Noé had opted to have breakfast in Hotel Chou Chou's restaurant rather than fetch something on the go, which was unusual for them but, much to Vanitas's consternation, was becoming more common.

"It smells nice," Vanitas said.

"I agree; it mixes perfectly with this pains au chocolat as well," he said, his face radiating that childlike joy he only ever seemed to get about sweets and mysteries. Vanitas truly didn't understand the appeal of desserts and here Noé was eating it for breakfast.

"But you seem to be in a dour mood this morning," Noé said. "What's wrong?"

He pushed the newspaper across the table, pointing at the article in question. Noé read it over carefully, a crease forming in his brow the further in he got.

"That certainly isn't good," he finally said, taking a bite out of his pastry. "But I'm not sure why this is bothering you specifically. We'll look into it and resolve the matter, won't we? We're always tending to these affairs."

"Something about it seems off. A vampire going about in the human world, feeding off of them, should get a more sensational headline than this. You remember the reporting on Thomas Berneux; it should be more like that, filled with details and speculation."

"Our first case," Noé said thoughtfully. "I remember hearing the humans gossiping about vampires on La Beleine."

"Precisely," Vanitas said. "Instead, everything about this is very quiet. I wonder if the murders are more grisly than they're letting on or perhaps the constables are actually exercising some power for once and have put a limit on what can be said."

"It doesn't say anything about who's been murdered?"

"No. Strange, don't you think? Stranger still that Orlok hasn't bothered to ask for our services."

"Hmm…" Noé skimmed over the paper once more. "Surely we could ask him?"

"If he's going to be stingy with information I'd rather not bother yet. Besides, I'm fairly certain he's annoyed with me."

Noé quirked a brow at him. "Perhaps this is why he has not called for us? Whatever did you do?"

"Nothing serious," Vanitas muttered. "I was just … looking for information."

"You were snooping," Noé said, taking a sip of tea.

"In a manner of speaking."

"Well," Noé said consideringly as he glanced over the information one more time. "It looks like it took place in central Paris. Shall we take a look and see what we can find?"

"I was hoping you'd say that," Vanitas said with a wide smirk.

Noé grinned in return and folded the newspaper. "Then let us be on our way."

* * *

"Ahh, look at this!" Noé called, drool forming at his lips as he took in the delectable tarte tatin on display in the window.

"You already had breakfast," Vanitas said in exasperation.

"But I didn't have this," Noé said, his look of awe only increasing the longer he stared at the apple dessert.

Vanitas let out a long-suffering sigh. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get something. I wonder if they have anything else in there." He wouldn't mind an omelette himself-he hadn't eaten much of his breakfast in his haste-but he serious doubted a pastry shop would have anything of the sort.

They'd been wandering about Paris for an hour now and Vanitas was getting close to admitting he really didn't know where they should start. The paper certainly hadn't been specific about where the murder had taken place and Vanitas didn't have any contacts with law enforcement. He'd often considered finding someone he could bribe in the department but it ultimately seemed like too much work when he could usually just pay Dante to sort things out.

"Really?!" Noé exclaimed.

"Yes," Vanitas said, holding back a fond grin. "If we're extraordinarily lucky maybe the shopkeeper will know something of what happened."

"I wonder if we should interview other store owners," Noé said thoughtfully as they stepped inside.

"Too much work," Vanitas groaned. "If we find nothing here I'm going to pay Dante."

Inside was a fairly standard dessert shop. There were several pastries lined up on the walls and on small tables throughout, each with a more enticing dessert than the last or so Vanitas assumed by the spark of desire in Noé's eyes. The color scheme was distinctly pastel with bright, mint colored wallpaper and smooth, white furniture. It made Vanitas's eye twitch in disgust. The only thing missing was the shopkeeper but conveniently there was a call bell on the front counter.

Before he could approach to ring Noé suddenly stiffened and gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Something's wrong," he said by way of explanation. "There's an odd smell about the counter. It's faint but it's definitely not any of the desserts around us."

He breathed in deeply, his eyes closed for focus. "I think it might be blood," he said. When his eyes opened they were crimson and he looked concerned.

Vanitas immediately gripped his daggers and unsheathed them smoothly. He allowed Noé to take the lead and together they cautiously approached. When they reached the counter Noé leaned over tentatively, holding his nose as he did so.

"Ugh," he said, quickly looking away. "That's awful."

Vanitas took a look and found a man lying, contorted, on the floor, his mouth stretched wide in a silent scream. His eyes had been gouged out and they were ringed with blood and bruises. Despite that, there wasn't any other overt damage to the body.

He inhaled sharply in his shock. His hands started to tremble and he braced himself against the counter as the sight of the man's mangled body brought up other memories of experimentation and madness.

Noé immediately gripped his arms to steady him. He murmured something-no doubt he was trying to take him away from the grisly visual-but Vanitas shook his head.

Steady, he thought. He couldn't lose his nerve now. He'd done that a few times before in front of Noé; he didn't want to do so again. He needed to analyze the situation for both their sakes.

The man was long since dead if Vanitas had to hazard a guess; aside from his gouged eyes the only noteworthy detail at the scene was a partially eaten piece of cake set innocuously on a small plate near his head. Had the man eaten it himself or had the perpetrator?

Vanitas's brow furrowed as he tried to piece it together. The man had dark hair and a slight figure. He supposed he was somewhere in his twenties at most. Most alarming of all was how fresh the body was. Whoever had done this could still be nearby.

"We should go. This is abhorrent," Noé said in disgust. "We need to inform the constables, Vanitas." He tightened his grip about him, urging him to leave. Vanitas shrugged him off and approached the body.

"Do you see this mark here?" Vanitas said pointing to a tattoo just peeking out from under the man's shirt. It was in the shape of a square with elaborate, flame-like lines jutting out.

"What about it?" Noé said, carefully crouching to get a better look. Judging by how stiffly he was moving it was reluctantly so.

"That's a vampire's mark," Vanitas murmured. "I wonder how he got it; he's nowhere near Altus."

"I don't know," Noé said. "But it would seem to indicate it's a vampire after all. Can we leave? I feel ill."

"Right. Of course. But we shouldn't inform the constables."

Noé opened his mouth to protest but Vanitas cut him off saying, "If this man was killed by a vampire like the others it becomes something vampires need to sort out. We'd do better informing Count Orlok. He can manage it from there." It seemed he'd have to speak with the man after all. How annoying.

Noé nodded reluctantly. Vanitas offered his hand to help him back over the body. Noé grasped it gratefully in silence. Neither of them mentioned how badly Vanitas was still shaking.

Much as he was loath to admit it, the sight of that body had brought back other memories he barely managed to keep at bay on a regular basis. He allowed Noé to shepherd him back inside Hotel Chou Chou without complaint even though Noé had his arm about him. It was more so out of necessity than desire, he knew. Vanitas was having a hard time keeping on track. If it hadn't still been daylight he had no doubt Noé would have picked him up like a sack of potatoes the way he normally did. He kept glancing at him worriedly and he wanted to shout that he would be fine. He should keep his nosy concern to himself.

He didn't do that because an equally strong part of him wanted Noé to comfort him after what they'd seen. He'd gone in expecting him to get another dessert while he interviewed the shopkeeper. He certainly hadn't thought the owner would be dead, much less mutilated in such a fashion.

When they reached Count Orlok's office Vanitas shrugged Noé off and put on his usual air of confidence. He burst through the door, internally smirking at the outraged reaction it garnered from his guards.

"What is it now?" Orlok said wearily.

"Murder most foul," Vanitas said without preamble and with far more cheer than he actually felt.

"What?" he exclaimed. His guards tensed, looking as if they wanted to throw Vanitas out but knew they couldn't.

Vanitas outlined the bare basics and Orlok's face turned stony.

"The two of you just decided to look into this all on our own?"

"What? You think you're in charge of this operation?" Vanitas said testily. "I'm informing you, aren't I? What's the problem?"

"Vanitas…" Noé sighed.

"The problem is that you're always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Orlok said gruffly. "But seeing as you're involved now anyway I suppose I'll give you a few details if you want to help out."

"Is it a malnomen?" Vanitas said.

"No."

"Then we're not interested." Noé looked profoundly displeased with this statement. He was in for a long debate on the matter, he could sense it already.

"It is a vampire," Orlok said to his back. He'd been about to take his leave in an effort to get out of whatever they'd inadvertently walked in on in the first place. "One that has ties to the underworld."

Vanitas turned back around slowly, not missing the disapproving frown on Noé's lips. Oh, yes, he'd have to talk to him about this later.

"It's a vampire that's escaped prison named Clovis."

Vanitas's eyes widened. "What?" That name was familiar; he was one of the more notorious mass murderers in vampire history. How had he escaped? More importantly, why hadn't he been executed?

When he asked as much Orlok simply shrugged grimly and said his remaining family members were important enough to get a say in the matter. So it was a form of nepotism. It figured.

"He's been targeting humans, killing them and marking them after they die," he continued when they remained silent.

"That's obscene," Noé whispered.

"Indeed it is," Orlok nodded.

"It would explain what we saw though," Vanitas said. The name "Clovis" hadn't sparked any recognition in Noé's eyes. He'd have to bring him up-to-date at some point.

"We haven't been able to track him down. It wouldn't hurt to have someone of your skill sets on the case."

"You want us to double as part-time constables now? You must really be desperate."

"I am," Orlok whispered. "If we don't stop him soon humans will begin to take notice, more than they already have at any rate, and I'd rather not give them any reason to start a vampire hunt." His guards glanced at him apprehensively.

"That's why the newspaper was so quiet about this matter," Vanitas said slowly. "This is a much bigger problem than you can resolve on your own."

Orlok said nothing but his silence was as good as an affirmation.

"Why is he killing humans?" Noé said.

"We're not sure. He was well known for killing other vampires before he was locked away. His motive back then was to remove curse bearers, supposedly. Granted, a great deal of those he killed likely weren't cursed. He was insane."

"Humans can't be curse bearers," Noé pointed out. "So what is he after? Did he say anything before he escaped prison?"

Orlok appeared deeply unsettled judging by how tightly clenched his jaw was. Vanitas swore he could hear him gritting his teeth.

"Only that the 'impure of sight would be purified.' No, we don't know what that means."

"His eyes," Noé murmured.

"Gouged out?" Orlok guessed. "Yes, apparently he meant whatever he was going on about quite literally."

"What about cakes? Was he known for that?"

Orlok gave him a strange look. "Whatever are you going on about?"

He would take that as a "no" then. Perhaps it hadn't meant anything at all. But it was such a strange detail; it seemed purposeful.

"Why didn't you mention this to us before?" Vanitas said derisively.

"Like you said, if it's not regarding malnomen you're not interested. But seeing as you've already taken initiative I'd say you're part of the investigation."

"Vanitas, I think we should—"

"Give us some time to think it over," Vanitas said with a pointed look at Noé. "You're asking for rather a lot."

"Of course," Orlok said. "Let me know when you've decided."

When they stepped out Noé was quiet—far too quiet by Vanitas's estimation. They proceeded up the stairs and it was only when they were in their shared room that Noé finally said, "I don't know if we should help with this."

Vanitas arched a brow in surprise. "That's unexpected. I was certain you would be furious with me for having any hesitation at all."

"I was unhappy about that at first," Noé admitted. "But the more I hear about this case the more I wonder if it has anything to do with us. This 'Clovis' isn't a curse bearer."

"But he is a murderer and he could cause us some problems later. You don't think that's worth taking a look?"

Noé shifted uncomfortably. "It's just… He used to go after curse bearers, right? But now he's targeting humans."

"Yes, so?"

"Humans cannot be cursed by Charlatan in this manner. His motivations have completely changed."

"I'm aware of that. What is your point?" Vanitas said impatiently. He knew Noé didn't have a problem with humans; if anything he wanted to protect them a little too much judging by all Vanitas had seen. This was … strange.

Noé seemed torn before he finally said, almost pleadingly, "That man in the shop looked like you. Shouldn't we consider he might be angry someone has taken what he thinks of as 'his place?'"

"You're reading too much into the situation," Vanitas said uneasily. "There are plenty of dark-haired men out there. Besides, we don't know what the other victims looked like."

"In that case, I'll ask Count Orlok. But I think we should reconsider this in case he's targeting you."

More like he'd be targeting The Book of Vanitas if that's the case, he thought wryly.

Outwardly he said, "If he's targeting me then there's all the more reason to get involved, don't you think? Why should we cower before him?"

Part of him wanted to concede to Noé; he looked so earnest and lately Vanitas had been enjoying his smile a good deal more than he already had in the past. He'd tried not to think about why that might be too much.

Noé let out a frustrated sigh and took a seat on his bed. He had his hands in a subtle steeple before him, seemingly at a loss for words.

Slowly, Vanitas considered his arguments and realized, with a shock, what the problem really was. "Are you … worried for my sake?"

Noé gave him a withering stare. "Of course I'm worried. How could I not be?"

"You really shouldn't be," Vanitas said uncertainly. "We'll be working together. What do we have to worry about?" He forced out a chuckle. Noé didn't look reassured.

"Maybe nothing," Noé sighed. "But this isn't about malnomen or Charlatan. Maybe we should let it go."

"And yet he is indirectly related to both. Furthermore, he's marking dead humans like some kind of pervert. Don't you want to stop that?"

"Yes," Noé said quietly. "Normally I would volunteer without hesitation."

"Then do that now," Vanitas said. "I'm not some hapless woman you need to save, Noé."

"But I did promise to save you," Noé said with an air of melancholy. Vanitas inwardly cursed at the warm lurch his heart gave at those words. "Let's just be careful with whatever we choose to do, shall we?"

"My dear Noé, I am always careful."

Noé hummed neutrally. Vanitas supposed he didn't believe him on that count, and with good reason, but at least he wasn't frowning so much.

"I'm going to speak with Count Orlok," he said suddenly. "I think we need more details."

"All right," Vanitas said slowly. "Shall I come with?"

"No, I don't think I'll be long."

Vanitas's eyes followed him as he left suspiciously. Noé was acting downright bizarre.

For now, he had a certain dhampir to contact. He supposed he would allow Noé to sort out his misgivings in the meantime.

He made sure Murr was settled firmly on Noé's bed before he opened the window and hopped out.

He'd fill Noé in later.

* * *

**Author Notes:**

So, the prompt for this one is "sweets." I don't know what it says about me that I saw that prompt and immediately thought "murder!" XD Future chapters will hopefully make the connection a little more obvious. I'm thinking there might be about five but I'm not sure yet. The rest of the prompts (and these chapters) might be a little late for VaNoé Week because I haven't had a chance to do a first draft for them yet. Anyhow, let me know what you guys think. ^^

Originally posted on AO3 April 24, 2019.


	2. Chapter 2

The streets of Paris were as crowded as ever but it served Vanitas well. He didn't enjoy standing out and now with the potential threat of a murderous vampire straight from the historical archives he wanted to stand out even less.

It was driving him mad; he was used to being an expert on vampires in general, hence the term "vampire doctor." But despite this vampire being locked up in prison for years, no one had ever learned much about him and the fact he was looking for Dante now in an effort to figure something out only made it that much more obvious.

"Blasted dhampir…"

"Hey, no need to insult me before you've even seen me, Quack."

Vanitas's eye twitched as he turned to find Dante himself on the other side of the pavement. His hearing was annoyingly good.

While he'd been looking for Dante, and this was convenient timing, having him pop up out of nowhere was grating. More grating still was the smirk on his face. He already knew Vanitas needed a favor and that was just appalling.

"Shut up, Baldy," he said loudly as he closed the gap between them. "Don't suppose you'd be up for a job?"

"If you're willing to pay, sure," Dante said nonchalantly. "What's up?"

He swiftly explained the situation. Dante immediately looked alarmed.

"Yeah, I have some free advice actually: don't get mixed up in this. You think he might be gunning for you? And you're looking for him all the same? Are you insane?"

"Do you know anything about him or not?" Vanitas said irritably.

Dante rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I do. This will cost you extra though; if you die I won't be getting another penny out of you."

Vanitas ignored that sentiment and handed over some coins. Dante stared at them dismally before pocketing them.

"Right, so his name is Clovis and his modus operandi was to kill vampires and mark them. We dhampirs have spotted him here and there around Paris. We haven't been able to discern where he's living or anything like that, though. Unlike a certain quack doctor we don't' have a death wish… Anyway, I know he used to have a partner he worked with but that fellow became cursed. That was his first kill, actually."

"What was his name?" Vanitas said. That certainly wasn't something he'd ever heard before, not that he'd had much reason to pay a great deal of attention to a locked up madman before.

"Markus. Why?"

"I don't recall anyone speaking of that before," Vanitas said quietly.

"That was a little more hushed up. Technically, no one could prove it was him; he didn't mark the guy like the others. It was just a rumor that circulated the neighborhood."

"Interesting. Anything else?"

"Yeah, he used to lure people in with charming words; supposedly he had a silver tongue."

"He managed all that with just a few words?" Vanitas scoffed. "That strikes me as highly unlikely. What vampire would be fooled so easily?"

"I wasn't finished," Dante said testily. "I'm pretty sure he appealed to some of their other vices as well. Usually it was blood. You know how vampires are; that addiction can be worse than alcohol. By the sound of it, he spent a lot of time seducing them with the stuff and just when they got comfortable, well, you know."

"Surely he wouldn't be capable of doing that with his most recent victims. They're all human."

"From what I've gathered, yeah. That crowd isn't much for the bloodsucking," Dante chuckled. "No idea why he's bothering with humans. No one's heard anything about that."

"I see. Know anything else?"

"That about covers it. I'll let you know if I learn anything new but…"

"What?" Vanitas said, exasperated. He knew where this was going.

"Are you sure you should be bothering? I mean, he's not a curse bearer himself and he's not a malnomen. I mean, what's the point?"

The point is he probably wants to kill me, gouge my eyes out, and steal the book, he thought in frustration. "Just branching out," he said lightly. "You know, Noé and I already handle so many problems around here, why not a few more?"

"Right, so you're just doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" Dante said disbelievingly. "As if."

"My reasons are hardly your concern," Vanitas said more firmly. "I just hired you for a job."

Dante shrugged. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Obviously, I'm going back to the scene of the crime now that I've found you."

"Oh."

Vanitas arched a brow at him.

"Oh, come on, really? I have to come with?" he exclaimed, glancing about nervously. "I really don't want to draw this guy's attention, Quack."

"You'll be drawing it by poking around anyway. Why not poke around some place a little more relevant?"

"I don't know if you know this, but I'm not a constable," he grumbled, but he followed along anyway as Vanitas knew he would. He didn't miss the shrewd glint in his eye as he did so. He'd have to be careful; Dante wasn't a complete idiot. He was no doubt wondering why he didn't have Noé with him. Well, that was none of his business.

* * *

Long, dark hair, slim, and eyes gouged out. The image kept surfacing in his mind and he kept imagining what his eyes must have looked like before they'd been snatched away from him forever. Noé had a sneaking suspicion they would have been blue and every time he thought that a snaking tendril of genuine terror would clutch at him.

He didn't care what Vanitas said; that man looked disturbingly similar to him and he knew Vanitas knew that. He just didn't want Noé getting in the way of his constant need to throw himself into deadly situations.

He's human, he bemoaned. Why can't he take a little more care?

Worrying about Vanitas was becoming a full-time job. The man never took a second to consider the amount of danger he put himself in yet somehow it was always Noé's fault for getting injured. Honestly.

He almost didn't bother stopping at Count Orlok's but it occurred to him they really would need more information than they had currently. He hadn't told Vanitas but he had intended to return to the scene of the crime himself. The corpse had been off-putting but even amidst his horror he'd paid attention to what Vanitas had said. A vampire's mark could be used to identify the vampire himself if Noé could just get a good sense of its power. Before he'd been too alarmed by the visage to pay much mind but looking back it had been … not familiar, exactly, but not wholly foreign either.

Reluctantly, he steered himself towards the Galerie Valentine first. Hopefully, it wouldn't take a great deal of time to sort that out.

* * *

The Galerie Valentine was as grand as ever although at this point Noé didn't care much for the architectural achievement before him. He rapped the door smartly and waited with some impatience for it to open. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long.

"Back already?" Orlok sighed. "And without that human as well. Aren't you supposed to look after him?"

"I'm not his guardian," Noé said immediately, although the more time he spent with him the more he was beginning to think he just might be. He did spend an awful lot of time trying to preserve his life.

"Well, what is it?" Orlok said gruffly, waving him in. His servants were far more relaxed than they'd been in Vanitas's presence. Another unfortunately common tendency of Vanitas's was to immediately win over someone's scorn.

The male servant-Manet was it?—was staring at him with something almost bordering on fondness. Maybe he was hoping Murr was with him. Noé carefully stepped fully into the room, which should make it apparent Murr was not there. He didn't seem fazed.

"I was hoping to learn more about this Clovis," Noé said readily to Orlok.

"I already gave you all the important information," he said exasperatedly. "What more do you really need?"

"I need as much as possible," Noé replied firmly. "I believe this man is targeting Vanitas."

"I sincerely doubt he's the only one," he said dryly. "He's not the most endearing man, is he?"

Noé ignored that, true though it was, and said, "I have to protect him. In order to do that, I need to know everything about this man. Please."

Count Orlok studied him, not a flicker of emotion passed his face to betray what he might think of the matter. "You're quite sure," he began, "you're not that man's guardian?"

"No, I'm," he hesitated, "his partner."

"Is that right?" he mused. He gave him a tight grin before finally shrugging. "It will take some doing but I'll have the files sent over to your room at Hotel Chou Chou. Your teacher did request I help you with whatever matters I could and, well, he's a persuasive man."

Noé gave him a slight bow of thanks and privately thanked his teacher as well for having the foresight to send that letter in advance. It hadn't been the first time Noé had gotten his way due to his connections. He'd never paid it much mind before; he'd been in Averoigne for so long it hadn't really mattered but now that he was among city-folk he finally understood some of the influence his teacher wielded with vampires at least. He'd accidentally mentioned him in passing to a shopkeeper in Altus and had been given a baker's dozen for free.

After that he'd taken a little more care. Just as he kept his teacher's name to himself he'd learned to keep Vanitas's private as well. With his teacher, he got his way. If he mentioned Vantias… Well, he generally didn't, to say the least.

He bid Orlok farewell, missing the considering way he watched him as he left, and headed back for the shop. It was time to make what he would of the body.

To his immense displeasure, he realized Orlok's men had beaten him to it. Perhaps he should have said something while he was there. Now he would almost certainly have to request to see a coroner and that would be … unpleasant to say the least.

The shop wasn't swarming, exactly, but he knew the group of casually dressed men weren't simply inquisitive civilians. No, these were some of Altus's elites. They would dispose of the body and clean the premises so thoroughly you would find yourself wondering if there'd ever been a shop there to begin with.

"Excuse me!" Noé forced himself through a small crowd of humans walking down the street. They didn't seem to notice the shop or its residents whatsoever. They glared at him as they strolled past.

One of the men glanced up at him, a small frown on his lips as he drew deeply from a cigarette. "What?"

"I beg your pardon, but I was here earlier. I need to inspect the, er, body." It occurred to him there was no good way of demanding to see a corpse.

"Oh, you're the one that reported this," he said with a spark of recognition. "Are you Vanitas?" He almost appeared excited and he was staring at him a little more intently now.

"No, I'm Noé. He travels with me."

The man looked unsure about that—there was often a great deal of confusion regarding who was traveling with whom—but he eventually decided he simply didn't care and said, "Doesn't matter anyway. We've already carted it off."

"But if that's the case, why are you still here?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Mostly we're looking to see if there's anything else that's amiss. Nothing yet. It's like he just walked in, plucked that fellow's eyes out, and simply left." He sounded a touch wary; Noé supposed this wasn't a typical occurrence for a murder.

"You're sure there's nothing?" Noé insisted, remembering Vanitas's query regarding cakes.

"I'm quite certain. I have no idea what to make of this if I'm completely honest." He rubbed the back of his head shamefacedly. The other men were quietly carrying out the baked goods and filling a large carriage with it.

"I see," Noé said quietly. He'd already reached a dead end in his efforts.

"Er, my name is Théo if you need to contact me again for anything. I'm just at the constabulary in Altus, so, um, yes. I've heard about what you and he have been doing and it's quite impressive."

"Oh, thank you," Noé said in surprise. He hadn't realized word of their deeds had spread at all and if they had, well, he'd thought it would be negative. They had a tendency to upset the aristocracy somewhat often…

"Well then, I'd best be off." He shuffled off, glancing back almost shyly as he flicked away his cigarette, before he boarded the carriage. Noé watched them leave in bemusement. What an odd fellow.

He turned to the face of the shop, empty and desolate now everyone had left. The body may have been gone but he was certain they would have taken photos at the very least. Perhaps Orlok would send those along with everything else.

Dejectedly, he began the trudge back to Hotel Chou Chou. He'd have a hard time explaining to Vanitas why he'd taken so long. He didn't want to admit he was trying to work the case on his own. There was no way that would go over well no matter how he said it.

As he turned the corner someone slammed right into him. A familiar scent flooded his senses. He instinctively altered his formula ever so slightly so he wouldn't teeter but the unfortunate consequence of that was that the other man took the brunt of their impact.

"Oh, pardon me," he began before he realized exactly who it was. "Vanitas! What are you doing about?"

Vanitas glared at him. "Did you turn yourself to stone just now? What was that for?"

"I didn't want to fall," Noé explained patiently.

"And I suppose the rest of us will just have to make do with greeting the cobblestone, is that right?"

"What? No—"

He stopped with his hands half raised pleadingly as a snicker came from behind Vanitas. Oh, he'd found Dante. He looked the same as ever in his smart suit and ever-present bat companion. Noé still wasn't convinced that's what it was but when he'd asked Vanitas had told him it was "almost a bat." He'd figured it was a machine or something similar but he hadn't yet gotten proof. It smelled a bit like a bat, he supposed.

"You two are always like this, aren't you?" he said, his expression a mix of amusement and thoughtfulness.

"How do you mean?" Noé said blankly.

"Don't start up," Vanitas snapped at Dante with a warning glare. "More importantly, why are you so close to the shop?" He turned back toward Noé.

"Why are you so close to the shop?" Noé countered. Then, as Vanitas tried to string a sentence together, Noé decided that maybe now wasn't a terribly good time for either of them to be acting childish.

"I went back to inspect the body," he admitted reluctantly, "but Count Orlok's men have already taken it away."

Vanitas let out a curse.

"I got the name of one of the detectives, though," Noé added. "His name is Théo. He said we could contact him if we needed to. Oh, he's quite impressed with us as well, which was unexpected. He's a bit of an awkward fellow…."

For some reason, Vanitas seemed to sour at that even more. "I think he meant you could ask him anything. I'm sure he'd quite like it, too…"

Dante was smirking widely as he wrote something down in his little notebook. Vanitas snatched it away from him without batting an eye.

"Well, let's go off and get some information then," Noé said with growing concern as Vanitas grew more agitated.

"I don't want to go off to visit Théo," he snarled, tearing a few pages out after skimming them.

"Hey!" Dante cried.

"You're a bane, I hope you know that," Vanitas explained mildly as he continued to shred the pages.

"You're the one who hired me, you know," Dante retorted. "It's not like I'm going to forget just because you tore up a few pages."

Noé pursed his lips silently. In the past, he would have had no idea what was going on right now but quite a lot had changed since the … incident. He was more in tune with Vanitas's moods than he'd ever been before, more aware of his scent, his expressions…

He knew Vanitas was … resentful of Théo, as absurd as it was to think it. He never would have believed it before; he'd barely considered what Vanitas's feelings toward him might be. He'd simply assumed they were … well, he hadn't assumed much of anything. He'd just wanted to understand him.

But the flurry of Vanitas's memories was still a hazy blur. There had been so many. He'd nearly lost himself in them and Vanitas had been nigh inconsolable for weeks after he'd finally come to. They'd both nearly died. No, he knew he would have died if Vanitas hadn't given him his blood.

Regardless, the point was that while he knew Vanitas was resentful, possibly even jealous, he couldn't quite figure out why. He remembered an array of emotions from Vanitas related to him: anger, trust, despair, and affection, which had been unexpected.

"Théo simply works for the constabulary," he explained in an effort to calm him down. "It's just work."

Dante looked as if he was having a revelation. He stared at Vanitas with raised brows before finally giving up on retrieving the papers.

"I'm aware of that," he snapped.

"Then let's go," Noé said. "Although, I'm not sure what the best way into Altus would be."

"You're both stellar detectives," Dante said dryly, collecting himself and his book at last. "Think about this for a second: they've removed the body, they've closed shop, nothing remains. They're not going to give you information; you're not even real detectives. They're trying to hide something."

"Just get to the point," Vanitas said tiredly. "Evidently, we're not going to get to investigate the body."

So, Vanitas had planned on doing the exact same thing he'd done. Noé bit back a retort in favor of listening.

Dante shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I'll keep an ear out. It's hard to keep a mass murderer under wraps, especially one with as bad a reputation as Clovis." Briefly, he almost appeared worried. "Might have to charge you extra for this, Quack."

"Yes, yes, just go find some results, will you?"

"See you later, Quack and, er, you, too, Noé."

Noé gave him a brief nod. It occurred to him that Dante always looked at him as if he wasn't supposed to be there. He was always uncomfortable in his presence and they'd never really spoken. He wondered why; he couldn't recall doing anything to offend him.

"Let's go back to Hotel Chou Chou," he finally said quietly. "I asked Count Orlok to send us whatever files he has on Clovis. Maybe something will have come in."

"Maybe."

The walk back was exceedingly awkward as Noé tried to voice his concerns and Vanitas grew more and more shuttered.

"I just wish you'd be more careful," Noé finally said in exasperation. "What if Clovis had been there?"

"A very good question," Vanitas said darkly. "You didn't seem to think that through before going yourself."

"Yes, but you're—"

"If you say human," Vanitas hissed, stopping mid-stride to confront him, "then you can just leave."

"I know you don't want me to," Noé said tiredly.

"You don't know everything about me," Vanitas said with just a touch of mania.

But I do, Noé thought, and isn't that the whole problem?

"Just stop it," Vanitas said, quieter, as he turned away.

"Stop what?"

"I hate it when you look at me like that."

"I'm not giving you a look," Noé huffed.

"Yes, you are," Vanitas exclaimed, angry once more. "It's a look that says you're taking me apart bit by bit like some kind of puzzle and then piecing it together again only it will have been transformed into some kind of romantic nonsense. Just stop it."

Passersby were starting to give them odd looks but Noé didn't pay them any mind. He doubted Vanitas even noticed.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I just…"

"You want to know. You always want to know. But this is … this is just a case we're working on. You don't need to treat me like I'm going to fall apart."

"I can't simply stop worrying about you," Noé insisted. "Vanitas, that would be absurd."

"Whatever." Vanitas continued toward the hotel, rage infusing his every step. Noé winced at how rigidly he carried himself. Yes, he'd really upset him this time and he felt like he'd just met him all over again because he couldn't figure out what the problem was. Best to let him cool off a bit before bringing it up again because he knew he'd have to.

* * *

Vanitas had spent the better part of the next morning trying not to feel like an utter fool for yesterday's behavior. Noé hadn't brought it up again but somehow that only made it worse.

He had had not reason to get upset about Théo. He wasn't even sure why he'd been upset about it. It made perfect sense to just go to Altus, contact someone who had warmed up to Noé as people inevitably tended to, and get some information on the blasted case.

But the thought of someone winning Noé over so easily, complimenting him so easily, when he simply couldn't was beyond frustrating.

He wished he could but that would be crossing a certain line he had set for himself. They already had too much proximity to one another, he'd already drunk his blood, seen his memories…

A knock came at the door and Vanitas's heart nearly burst out of his chest. He'd been sharpening his daggers and he set them aside with forced calm as he went to answer it like nothing was wrong. He didn't miss the worried glance Noé gave him.

It was Amelia with a stack of folders filled to the brim with paperwork.

"My, that's a lot to look through," Vanitas said with a biting grin.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you and Monsieur Noé working on?" Amelia asked. "I was told not to look at the folders but they seem terribly official."

"Indeed. They're top secret," he said airily.

"It's all right, Mademoiselle Amelia," Noé interjected before Vanitas could come up with some elaborate lie. "We're simply lending Count Orlok some assistance with something."

"I see. In that case I wish you both the best of luck. I know that I was grateful to have your assistance on my own 'case.'"

"Yes, I'm not sure we'll be receiving much praise in this instance," Vanitas said. "Thank you for the paperwork."

"Erm, yes…" She took her leave at the overt dismissal and Vanitas closed the door and set the papers on his bed. He would have set them on the desk but Noé had yet to actually clear it of his selection of knickknacks and odds-and-ends. They'd have to have another talk about his tidying skills sometime.

Noé joined him atop the mattress and started picking through the files.

"There are a great deal, aren't there?" he said. "It seems Count Orlok was able to give us the files on his past and present victims."

Noé winced as he shuffled through them, seeing some pictures and actual photos of the victims on some of the newer cases. "This is a rare instance where I rather wish we hadn't invented the camera obscura," he muttered as he came to a particularly gory image of a vampire bled dry but not yet turned to dust.

"These are some rather detailed daguerreotypes," Vanitas murmured. "Look here; you can see Clovis's mark."

Noé studied it intently before giving a frustrated sigh. "It doesn't work through photography."

"Hm?"

"I'd hoped to get a sense of his power by going back to the shop but… I can't sense a thing from this. I was hoping that even if I couldn't see it in person this might do something."

"A vampire's power is in the mark itself. A picture can't capture that," he said knowingly. His own mark, when uncovered, caused most vampires to wince at the sheer power emanating from it. It was how he'd managed to upset a whole crowd of them so easily back at the Bal Masque.

Noé continued shuffling through the files, his frown growing starker as he did so. "Take a look at these," he finally said, pushing four files over. "These are his most recent victims."

Hesitantly, Vanitas took the files and glanced through. Immediately, he knew why Noé had pointed these ones out specifically. One was of the man they'd found in the shop the other day. His name had been Hector apparently. The other three were all quite similar: dark hair, slight build, gouged eyes. By each there was a partially eaten slice of cake.

"What on earth does the cake represent?" Vanitas murmured.

"I think that's hardly the most concerning aspect of these photos," Noé said exasperatedly. "Surely you noticed as well."

"Indeed," Vanitas said, snapping the folder closed. "They're all young men that look slightly similar to me."

"You're not worried?"

"No."

"I know you're lying," Noé said gently. "You always get that look when you do." Vanitas cursed inwardly; this was the downside of spending so much time with one person. He continued studying the photos, refusing to look at Noé. If he did it would be the same as acknowledging he was becoming a little concerned.

"Regardless, aside from that there doesn't seem to be a pattern," Noé said, smoothly moving away from the subject of their appearance. "This fellow here, Augustus, came from wealth. He was found dead in his bedroom." Noé frowned at it. "And once again, no sign of a struggle…"

"Dante said he's a master of persuasion," Vanitas said archly.

"You mean he talked them into it?" Noé's brow crinkled in disbelief. "I don't think anyone could be talked into letting someone remove their eyes."

"My response was similar," Vanitas said with a dark chuckle, "but Dante said he also sweetened the persuasion by using his own blood."

"That wouldn't work on a human," Noé said promptly.

"No," Vanitas said slowly, "but many humans would find the … reverse appealing."

Noé stared at him blankly and Vanitas silently cursed the universe for allowing this vampire to grow up utterly oblivious to vampire customs and then expecting him to explain them all.

"I mean," he said impatiently, "that they might enjoy having their blood drunk."

"Do they?" Noé said thoughtfully. "You know, I'd never really considered that."

"Noé, I know you've had other people drink your blood. Surely, you have some opinion on whether it's enjoyable or not."

"I like it," Noé said with an ease that nearly drove Vanitas insane, "but I think I like drinking it more."

Vanitas barely stifled a strangled choke of disbelief. The bluntness of that was just … Well, it was very Noé.

"Well, there you have it," he managed levelly. "Why wouldn't a human feel similarly? Er, about having it drunk at least."

"I'm glad," Noé said.

"About what?" Vanitas sighed.

"That it wasn't unpleasant," he said with a pointed look.

Vanitas gaped at him. Since when were they talking about that? Noé had avoided the subject for ages but he saw fit to bring it up now? While they were looking into an array of corpses?

"Right," he said, glancing away, and firmly telling himself the heat on his face was just due to the weather and certainly not anything a particular vampire had said.

"What does he look like?" Noé said suddenly. "There are photos of all the victims but none of the perpetrator?"

Vanitas had wondered at that, too. He shuffled through them all, growing more and more annoyed as it was proven that, no, there wasn't a single picture of Clovis and certainly none of Markus, his presumed partner.

"This Markus fellow," he murmured to himself. If Dante hadn't said anything he would have assumed he didn't exist.

"Markus?"

He hastily explained who he was supposed to be. Noé considered it for a moment before letting out a considering "hm" and rearranging the photos.

"You said they were partners, right?"

"That's what Dante said."

"Well, if Markus died first, that would be the motive for all of these." He gestured toward one pile. "Several of these are from the 18th century, so there aren't any pictures, but the descriptions are useful. They're all vampires, they've all been marked, and now we know why."

"We do?" Vanitas said, feeling unusually out of the loop.

"Because of Markus," Noé explained earnestly. "He must have cared for him. He must not have wanted him to … lose himself. To be cursed by Charlatan." For a moment his expression darkened, becoming more fragile. Vanitas had seen this look before. He shifted uncomfortably.

"He must hate Charlatan," he murmured. "It's why he killed those vampires. Because they were curse bearers."

"Orlok told us as much," Vanitas said impatiently with just a touch of unease. "We haven't learned anything."

"Maybe not in a conventional sense but I think I understand, at least a little."

"You can't understand a murderer. You're nothing like him."

Noé gave him a small grin before growing serious once more and saying, "What if he did know they were curse bearers? What if he wasn't insane?"

"He can't have known that," Vanitas insisted. "That isn't the kind of ability a vampire can possess."

"I could know," Noé said darkly. "We both know it wouldn't be difficult."

Vanitas stared at him in shock. Not simply because the idea of Noé abusing his power had never even crossed his mind but because the thought of Clovis being an Archiviste hadn't.

"N-no," he said, cursing himself for the stutter. "Noé, there aren't any other Archivistes. I would know for one and Orlok surely would have mentioned that."

"Maybe, but if he really did know they were curse bearers… How else would he have known if he didn't search their memories for Charlatan?"

"He's just insane. That's all this is."

"All right, let's say he's insane. We still don't know why he's targeting humans."

"You think you know," Vanitas muttered.

"I do. Vanitas, at least consider it."

Vanitas stared at the photos and finally allowed himself to say, "I have."

"And?"

He hated how gentle Noé said it.

"It's a … concern, I'll grant you," Vanitas grudgingly allowed. "But if there is someone out there trying to kill me I'd rather face it head on. I found it surprising you didn't feel the same."

"I do," Noé said. It was said in an odd tone of voice and Vanitas suddenly had piercing insight into what he'd been thinking.

"You were going to try to handle this on your own," he said. "You didn't mean we shouldn't take the case you meant I shouldn't take it."

"I just worry what this vampire will do to find you," he said urgently, grasping at his hands. Vanitas stared down at them briefly before snatching his away.

"Dark hair is hardly an uncommon feature in the populace. It's-"

"It's you," Noé said firmly. "Théo, he knew who we were. Why wouldn't other vampires? I'm sorry I tried to handle things on my own but surely you know you're who he's targeting."

Vanitas wanted to protest once more if only to be difficult but the longer he stared at the photos the more he was forced to admit the resemblance was … uncanny.

"So, what do we do?"

"We do just what you wanted," Noé said, beaming. "We find him."

"Together, the way we're supposed to. All right?" Vanitas said, glancing up at him uncertainly.

"Right." Noé's eyes were oddly soft and he appeared almost nostalgic in the way he took him in. Vanitas had been noticing this behavior more and more lately and he honestly didn't know what to make of it. Noé kept giving him looks and Vanitas wasn't prepared to consider what that might mean.

He shrugged the uncomfortable sensation off in favor of analyzing the case before them.

"All right, if we look at the vampires he killed before going to prison we can see he was marking them as well. It's decidedly strange for a vampire to mark another vampire," Vanitas said consideringly.

"Is it?" Noé said. Vanitas rolled his eyes. Once again he would have to explain.

"Yes, very much so. It's a mark of…" Vanitas stumbled over the correct way of phrasing it. He'd once used his mark to advertise a certain type of "relationship" he had with Jeanne and he wasn't quite ready to announce it was a little more fraught with tension than he'd let Noé know. Even so, love wasn't a wholly honest description of what it meant either.

"Possession?" Noé said cheekily.

"Yes, and all the synonyms that go with it," Vanitas said reluctantly. It was safer to let Noé draw his own conclusions from that.

"Hmm…" He glanced at the mark consideringly. "He wanted to keep them for himself even in death, then. I wonder, did he think that would keep them from Charlatan somehow?"

"Perhaps. You know, every single one of these victims is male. That's … unusual, in a serial killer."

"It all goes back to Markus," Noé murmured. "I think we need to learn more about him."

"Sounds like we're taking that trip to Altus after all," Vanitas said with false enthusiasm. In truth, he didn't really want to go.

"Seems that way," Noé sighed. "Come on; let's find one of the gates."

* * *

Author's Notes: Writing a mystery is surprisingly difficult! Let me know what you guys think. ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Getting into Altus proved annoyingly easy and it wasn't thanks to Vanitas's know-how.

He didn't bother to hide his irritation as Noé walked side-by-side with Dominique who was garbed in a boyish suit with just enough feminine flair to keep things interesting. She kept glancing at Vanitas with ill-repressed scorn, which Vanitas returned tenfold. He may have glowered at her first, but it hardly mattered. He was in a particularly foul mood and her presence was doing little to improve it.

Noé wasn't paying the crackling tension any mind whatsoever and was instead chatting gaily with Dominique about mundane matters related to the de Sade household.

"Why is she here?" he demanded, finally fed up with being ignored. He didn't recall it being so bad the last time Dominique was with them and she wasn't doing anything different than last time. If he were in a better mood he might have noticed her sour looks were bordering more on sympathetic, but he wasn't and so he didn't.

"Domi knows all the ways into Altus," Noé explained with an air of exasperation. Maybe he'd noticed their silent irritation after all. "It will also be much easier gaining access to material with her influence. Very few would turn down a member of the de Sade household."

Vanitas gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. He needed to pull himself together. Noé's reasoning made perfect sense. He should be grateful that things would go so smoothly.

Instead, all he could think of was that not only did he have to meet "Théo" he also had to spend time with Noé's almost-wife for the duration of their time with him.

"I would like to be a little more certain on the details of this case," Dominique said with a concerned glance at Noé. "Are you sure he's an Archivist? Grandfather always said you were the last one."

"We don't know for sure," Noé admitted. "I hope he isn't, but for now it's easiest to explain his success if we assume he is."

"Noé," Dominique said warily, "are you sure you're all right with that? He's…"

"Even if he's an Archivist it will change nothing," Noé said firmly. "He's hurt people."

"I know, it's just… he's extremely dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt." She grasped his hand tightly. Noé gave her a warm grin and squeezed her hand in turn.

"Thank you, Domi."

Vanitas tuned her concerned rambling out. It echoed his own thoughts a little too well and he didn't much want to be compared to Dominique de Sade. He was not that weak over Noé. He wasn't.

Dominique continued to lead them down the cobblestone streets. Noé was still clutching at her hand and for a moment Vanitas wondered what it would be like to be fond enough of someone to do so, to trust them so much that being close wasn't cause for concern.

It was night, so they didn't have to worry about passersby. Contrary to popular belief, vampires were no more active at night than the regular human. Noé was evidence of that; given half a chance he would sleep the whole day away.

When they reached a towering brick building Dominique said in a reluctant tone, "This is it. You're sure you know someone here? And that he's working this shift?"

"Yes, a man named Théo. The case seems like the kind of thing that would require him to work late." Noé's eyes scanned over the building. It was made of dark bricks and was relatively modest. The police force was given more funding than it had in the past but it was still designed with the thought of catching cutpurses more than anything else. Actual murderers were a little more trouble than anyone wanted to deal with, yet there they were, having to deal with it.

His misgivings regarding the entire affair only grew when they stepped inside and his foul mood grew fouler still.

"Oh, Monsieur Noé!" a man cried from the front desk. Vanitas felt it was safe to bet this was the mysterious Théo from before. Noé's responding grin only confirmed it to be the case. The desk was an utter mess, covered in fountain pens, various papers, and an untouched slice of cake set haphazardly on the corner of the table.

Dominique rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She was no doubt familiar with what those rosy cheeks and the absurd amount of affection being piled onto Noé entailed. She did the same thing. Vanitas was not bitter.

"It's good to see you again, Monsier Théo," he said warmly.

"Just Théo is fine," he said awkwardly, though he glanced down with a pleased grin. "Are you still looking into this affair?"

"Yes, we were hoping you might have some further information for us," Noé said, sobering immediately.

"I can do my best," Théo said awkwardly. "Some things I can't tell civilians, but…"

"Of course; we understand completely. But it really would be a marvelous help if you could answer some questions." He gripped Théo's hand imploringly. Dominique let out a quiet huff of laughter.

Vanitas blinked in consternation. Was Noé… aware of how this man felt about him? Was he taking advantage of it to get information?

Vanitas didn't know if he wanted to weep in frustration or congratulate him for finally trying something somewhat underhanded.

"Well, if it would help," he stammered. He was staring at Noé's hands with wide eyes before he finally forced himself to remove his hand from Noé's clutches. "Er, what questions do you have, exactly?" he continued dazedly.

"What does Clovis look like?" Noé said, not bothering to beat around the bush any longer. "We weren't sent any pictures. It's rather strange."

"Oh, yes, that… Well, he was captured before photography was invented, you see. No one could take a picture."

"Surely someone could have drawn a sketch?" Vanitas interjected.

"Yes, quite right," he said nervously.

"Then where is it?" Vanitas said in exasperation.

"Missing," Théo admitted with a frustrated gesture of his hand. "He must have taken it with him when he escaped."

"How did he escape, exactly?" Dominique asked. She raised an eyebrow imperiously.

"We're unsure. Everything was locked as it should be. It was like he just … unlocked his shackles and walked out. Er, who are you exactly?" He eyed the professional tailoring of her clothes in confusion. She wasn't dressed as a lady, but she was dressed expensively and that could only indicate she came from wealth.

"Dominique de Sade. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She stuck her hand out and her smile grew as Théo's eyes reached epically wide proportions. He clasped it loosely and let go with haste.

"I'm sorry, Lady de Sade, I had no idea—"

"It's quite all right," she interrupted smoothly. "But do tell us more about how he could have possibly escaped on his own without the aid of anyone else."

Grudgingly, Vanitas had to admit the woman was effective and had flair to boot. Even more importantly, she was asking the right questions. There was simply no way someone under lock-and-key could escape so casually.

"Someone must have helped him," Noé murmured. "But who would bother?"

Vanitas was wondering the same thing. The only person who had ever had any connection to Clovis had been the mysterious Markus.

"Monsieur, nobody would help that madman!" Théo exclaimed. "Truly, we do not know how he got out. It's why I, why we, are working so hard to catch him."

Vanitas let out a considering "hm" and studied Théo a little more closely. He was a plain man in a tweed suit. He seemed earnest, but his nerves kept getting the best of him. Was it really Noé's presence that was having such a profound effect or was there something else to it?

"Where is everyone then?" Dominique said with a glance around the empty room. "You're the only one burning the midnight oil it appears."

"I—yes," he admitted. "I thought if I looked over the files we had one more time that maybe something would come together, but…"

"Nothing so far?" Noé asked gently. "Are these the same files you sent to us?"

"The very same," he said miserably. "I really don't understand what I could be missing."

"All right," Noé said consideringly. "Well, why don't you describe him to us? That would still be helpful."

"Of course," Théo said, looking a little more settled now that he was on safer territory. "He's slender, quiet, doesn't make eye contact."

"Would you say he looks like me?" Noé said quietly.

Théo stumbled over his words before managing, "I suppose he might technically look like you Monsieur Noé, but it's really only a passing resemblance. He has darker skin and silvery hair but…"

"Is he an Archiviste?" Noé demanded, no longer attempting to be smooth. Dominique glanced at him worriedly.

"What? Of course not! They disappeared centuries ago. That would be impossible," Théo laughed nervously. Vanitas narrowed his eyes. He was behaving very strangely for someone who had invited them here to begin with.

"He's a very old vampire," Vanitas pointed out. "He was almost certainly born before the clan was wiped out. How can you be sure he isn't?"

"I-It would have been in his record, surely," Théo stammered. "Why are you asking about something like that anyway?"

"Never mind that," Dominique interjected. "What do you mean he never made eye contact? I thought this man was in solitary confinement."

Vanitas nodded slowly in agreement.

"He was. Mostly. Someone had to bring him food and that someone was me," Théo admitted sheepishly. "I would observe him briefly. He never looked at me."

"Is that right?" Vanitas drawled. Oh, this Théo was becoming more and more unlikeable by the minute. But did Noé notice? He appeared thoughtful but there was an extra little scrunch to his brow that indicated something wasn't sitting well with him.

"But he spoke to you, didn't he?" Noé finally said. There was a ringing silence after the statement. Théo appeared lost. His eyes had gone wide and vacant, as if he hadn't really thought about it until just now.

"I was assigned to keep an eye on him," Théo murmured at long last. "I figured there wasn't any harm in speaking with him. There was no one else who would."

"You sympathized with him for being lonely," Noé said softly. Vanitas glanced at him in surprise. Dominique's lips thinned and she appeared distraught.

"He was terribly lonely," Théo admitted. "Solitary confinement for so long… I figured he was too far gone to cause any trouble. But you must understand, I did not help him escape. While I pitied his existence within the cell, I had no desire to set that madman set loose on society once more!"

"I believe you," Noé sighed. "But even so…" he trailed off and his eyes lit suddenly with an idea. "May we see the cell?" Noé gently prodded. Théo stared at him in a dazed manner. He nodded.

Vanitas bit back a snide remark. If Théo didn't have anything useful to tell them then there was no point in staying, especially with his constant glancing at Noé, the longing clear as day, the dazed look just overt enough—

He gritted his teeth. It shouldn't matter. Everyone liked Noé. He already knew that.

Dominique walked at his side as Noé stayed close to Théo just a little ways ahead.

They were led down a dark, rather dank hallway that had Vanitas scrunching his nose up in distaste. There was a leak somewhere in the distance that made the bleak nature of their destination all the worse. The lighting wasn't very good, yellow and dim, and on every side were cells lining the walls. There were a variety of prisoners, most of them vampires judging by the red gleam in their eyes as they passed by. Vanitas glowered right back at them but inwardly he felt uneasy. Nobody was saying anything and that was unheard of for prisoners.

"What do you think of him?" Dominique murmured, nodding at Théo. "He seems scared, don't you think?"

"He was the one in charge of that prisoner in effect, so he ought to be; the man got loose on his watch."

"You don't think it's anything else then?" Dominique said dubiously.

Vanitas eyed the two ahead before giving a stiff nod. "It seems likely that Clovis had some sort of … influence."

He had a silver tongue.

How literally had Dante intended that statement to be? He frowned in consternation. He was familiar with Archivists and with vampires, but no one had ever really known the full extent of the Archivists' powers. The clan had guarded their secrets closely, but everyone had feared them. The problem was that thanks to their fear, their information regarding the Archivists was speculative at best and wild fiction at worst much like anything about Vanitas of the Blue Moon was.

"That's what I'm worried about," Dominique admitted. "If he could convince an upstanding citizen to free him…"

"Then what else is he capable of?" Vanitas finished for her. They shared a knowing look. If Clovis could manage that then the case would be that much harder to resolve.

When they reached the very back it was to be confronted by a thick, steel door.

"This is it?" Noé inquired. If Vanitas hadn't known him better he would have thought he was perfectly comfortable here. As it was, he could discern an uneasy thread in his voice. Noé wasn't terribly fond of enclosed spaces. He wasn't frightened of them exactly, he'd enter them when necessary, but he'd confided in him once that they brought up bad memories.

"What kinds of memories?" he'd asked.

"The kind where I couldn't escape," he'd said simply.

He hadn't elaborated, but Vanitas could read between the lines. He knew at one point Noé had been a slave and slaves were treated abysmally. They were also kept in extraordinarily confining quarters.

Dominique stepped beside him and looped her arm through his. Noé gave her a quick glance but said nothing.

"Shall I open it for you?" Théo said awkwardly as the silence grew longer.

"Please do," Noé acknowledged.

Inside was exactly what Vanitas expected. Dominique stared at it grimly. No doubt her family had such places hidden away in their manor. Noé's hands clenched into tight fists at his side as he entered and surveyed the small quarters.

The walls were made of solid steel just like the door. There were dark stains on sections of the wall. Vanitas didn't need have a vampire's sense of smell to know it was dried blood. There was a toilet in the corner and a small, ratty bunk to the side. There was the smallest, barred window at the very top of the enclosure, far outside the reach of any man.

"I don't suppose he could have hidden anything in here," Dominique said with distaste.

"It seems unlikely," Vanitas admitted.

"These stains," Noé said quietly, gesturing for Théo to come closer. "What are they?"

Vanitas glanced at him curiously. Surely he already knew?

"Ah, that…" Théo kneeled next to him awkwardly. "Sometimes he would fling himself against the wall. It was hard, having to listen to that…" he trailed off.

"And you spoke to him?" Noé demanded. "Through the door?"

"That's right," Théo said. "It seemed to ease his episodes, having someone there to speak with. Sometimes I would open the window there," he gestured at the slim window on the thick door. Noé nodded consideringly.

"He was locked here for decades," he murmured. Noé brushed the dried blood off of his gloves. "I imagine he would feel indebted to you. You were his only company."

"Oh, I doubt that very much," Théo laughed shrilly. "He was … well, he was a murderer."

"A murderer that began his killing spree with the one man he cared for," Noé thought aloud, "and one who may have escaped for— Never mind," he said, shaking his head as if to dislodge the thought that had made its way to him. "Markus. You've heard of him?"

"Er, yes, he spoke of him on occasion. He sounded very fond of him despite, uh…"

"Despite killing him," Vanitas said wryly. "Charming."

"It sounded like he did it out of … concern. How absurd is that? But then, who can really understand the criminal mind."

"What did he say exactly?" Noé prodded.

Théo fidgeted uncomfortably before saying, "He said he was saving his soul, that he had no choice."

"His soul…" Noé murmured.

"Religious motivation, perhaps?" Dominique offered. Privately, Vanitas agreed with her assessment.

Noé nodded slowly as his eyes skimmed the cell one more time. "I think we've seen enough. Thank you for your help here."

"Right, yes, of course," Théo stammered. "Come back if you have any further questions."

As they left Vanitas's eyes were drawn to the desk Théo was stationed at once more. His eyes narrowed as he saw the slice of cake on the edge, completely uneaten. Théo sat down and glanced at it in confusion before shaking his head and returning to scanning the papers before him.

After they exited, Dominique offered to take them back to the de Sade manor. "There's no point making the two of you look for a hotel at this hour," she explained, "and it would be nice to spend some time with you, Noé."

"Thank you, Domi," he said gratefully. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen the de Sade mansion."

She smiled grimly. "No time like the present, I suppose. I suspect your case will be easier to solve in Altus anyway. It's safer."

"Clovis is targeting humans. We won't be able to stay for long," Vanitas pointed out.

"No, I realize that," she sighed. "But even so, there's research you'll only be able to do here."

"There are some things I'd like to look into further," Noé said thoughtfully. "Maybe your family would have some books on the matter."

"Our library is at your disposal," Dominique said with a fond twitch of her lips. "Oh, Veronica will be furious…"

Vanitas chuckled darkly at that. He was certain the only person in the entire household that would be happy to see them was Dominique herself.

"If it's too much trouble…"

"It isn't," Dominique said firmly. "This might have to do with your clan, Noé. You deserve to learn of that."

The two were silent as they gazed at each other with years' worth of understanding. Vanitas looked away and said nothing.

As Dominique hailed a hansom cab he took a moment to contemplate what, if anything, they'd learned from Théo.

The man was involved somehow, Vanitas felt certain on that count, but he wanted to hear Noé's thoughts. He was worried about how personally he seemed to be taking everything, how readily he tried to see things from Clovis's perspective.

It's just to solve the case, he reminded himself. But he felt uneasy as they pulled away from the curb and he couldn't explain why.

* * *

**Notes:**

And we're back! I'll admit, this story has been giving me some difficulty, but I have the rough draft of the entire story written, so I'm hoping I can crank out chapters at a slightly better rate. Anyway, Vanitas is having a rough time this chapter. XD But they're piecing things together, slowly but surely.

Thanks for reading!


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